In a potential boost to new display technologies, Apple is developing a pair of iPhones with larger, curved screens, according to a report from Bloomberg News.

Citing a person familiar with the plans, Bloomberg said Apple is developing iPhones with 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch screens – larger than the current 4-inch display – that curve downward at the edges. These models, according to the report, are being prepared for release in the second half of next year.

The company is also working on enhancing the touchscreen sensor to be able to distinguish between different levels of pressure, the story said. It follows a Wall Street Journal report in September that Apple was looking at expanding the iPhone’s screen size, in part to compete larger offerings from rivals.

The curved screen would most likely mean that Apple is abandoning liquid crystal displays for organic light-emitting diode, or OLED, screens. That would thrust into the mainstream what has been a niche display technology.

Samsung Electronics Co. and LG Electronics Inc. recently released curved-screen smartphones. Both use a new type of OLED to add elasticity to the bottom layer of the smartphone screens so they don’t crack when they’re curved or bent.

For years, OLED has been considered a future replacement for LCD screens, because it allows for thinner displays since it doesn’t require a backlight like LCDs. It offers other technical advantages such as more vivid colors, but display makers have struggled to manufacture OLED screens efficiently, a key to driving down prices.

TV manufacturers have started creating curved televisions using OLED, but they haven’t gained mass adoption because of their hefty price tag.